Arts Academy students attend Cranbrook Institute | Macomb Daily

August 1, 2016

by Gina Joseph, Macomb Daily

Young artists from around the world travel to Michigan every year to attend the Cranbrook Summer Arts Institute in Bloomfield Hills.

This summer students came from as far away as Japan and as close as Fraser’s Arts Academy in the Woods for the program.

“This was a phenomenal opportunity for our eight students who attended,” said Dr. Michael Mitchell, principal of Arts Academy in the Woods, a free public high school authorized by the Macomb Intermediate School District. “They were exposed to some of the most creative minds and accomplished artists in the art community. It was truly an experience they will treasure and benefit from for a lifetime.”

The institute brings teaching artists who excel in providing individual attention and innovative instruction and talented students together for two-weeks.

During the program students stayed on-campus at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in the school’s graduate residence halls, attending daily classes that included studio time and instruction along with evening workshops. On the weekend students were able to visit the Detroit area’s premier cultural institutions.

One of the students from the Arts Academy in the Woods called her time at the camp ‘magical.’

“I made so many friends and truly felt independent due to the amount of freedom that the counselors and teachers gave us,” said Casey Fish of Warren. “My favorite part would have to be the teachers, who were so talented and who always offered constructive criticism.”

The program offered by Cranbrook, regarded as one of the most respected graduate schools in the world of fine arts, design and architecture, is designed to both bolster creativity and develop fundamental skills for aspiring artists.

The experience and what students learn also adds to their portfolios.

“The teachers taught us diverse trades that will benefit me going forward,” Fish said. “After all, how many 17-year-olds do you know that have created their own font?”

The Arts Academy in the Woods was also represented by Saleena Tyler and Jordan Anderson of Eastpointe, Sarah Johnson of Southfield, Kayla McMurray of Detroit, Ikalanni Jahi and Adiya Jahi of Roseville and Tedi Jensen of Mount Clemens.

The students were all able to attend the program thanks to scholarships provided by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation.

“Our students were so grateful for the tremendous generosity of the foundation, which provided the scholarships,” Mitchell said. “It’s a, once-in-a-lifetime occasion, for our kids. Most probably wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of something like this without the scholarship support.”